


Hope

by ChloeWinchester



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-28 23:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3874264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChloeWinchester/pseuds/ChloeWinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Rumplestiltskin collapsed in his shop Belle comes by and finds him on the floor. She rouses him and he tells her of the horrors to come, and what he truly, truly wants for their happy ending together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during 4x21 "Mother"

“Rumple!”

Belle ran across the wood floor, heels scraping as she skittered to a halt beside him. “Rumple? Rumple, hey, wake up,” she shook him lightly, tears in her eyes. “Rumple, please!” She felt for a pulse, pushing his hair out of his face. His lashes fluttered a little, eyes peeking open.

“Belle?”

She gasped in relief. “Shh, shh, it’s alright. I’m here, it’s okay,” she promised. “What, what happened? Did someone hurt you? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he lied, so used to saying it today it just came out. He fought to push himself up, to stand again and prove his lie, but he fell, proving the opposite. Belle caught him and pursed her lips, shaking her head while she lowered him back down and put his head in her lap.

“You are not.” Belle was fighting to hold her voice together, to not let her worry overtake her. “Don’t lie, Rumple, you- You told me your heart was nearly black? What does that mean? And don’t, don’t keep things from me, not now. Just...just tell me what’s wrong.”

He looked up at her, one hand on his chest, the other folded on itself to keep him from asking to hold her hand. He swallowed, his dark eyes weary, and afraid.

“Alright. Alright, Belle.”

So he told her.

He took out the sickly black hunk in his chest and showed to her, his voice constantly wavering, constant tears in his eyes, constant fear that she would be so disgusted with him she’d leave him here alone too. But she didn’t.

“Rumple, your heart,” she whispered, looking at it, at the speck of pink, that faint ember of love he had for her still. How brightly it glowed among the rest. Slowly, and gingerly, Belle reached down and took his heart into her small palm from his shaking hand.

“That’s all that’s left,” he explained in a small voice, trusting her to hold it, though his eyes were afraid. Always so afraid. Belle placed her free hand against his forehead, eyes still on the heart.

It was hot. Boiling, almost to the point of burning her, but she didn’t let go. She hadn’t expected that, she thought it would be cold. She remembered Rumple’s rage at times… The Dark One’s rage, and then it didn’t seem so strange. She swallowed, staring at what was left of his ability to love, so scared.

“Rumple, this...What are we going to do?” She said, tears in her eyes once more, looking at him helplessly. He swallowed, closing his eyes.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t know, my love. But...but this is just getting worse. And you… Belle, if my heart goes completely dark, you have to run. You have to get away from me, get far, far away, leave Storybrooke entirely if you have to but...there’ll be no saving me. I...I won’t even be me.”

“So...so you, Rumplestiltskin, you will die. But The Dark One will live?” She asked softly. He nodded, opening his eyes again. Belle’s lips shook and she leaned down, pressing her lips to the scalding heart, wishing with all her might that the little speck would hang on, and maybe that kiss might help. Just a little.

She carefully handed it back to him, brushing the tears off his face. “Shh...hey,” she breathed, kissing his forehead as he pushed his heart into his chest. “Shh...Don’t give up. You can’t give up, Rumple, something could change. the Author could still come back, everything can be alright.”

He smiled a little, allowing himself to reach for her hand, which she took and cradled in both of hers. “If...if the Author comes back,” he whispered. “I’m going to give us our happy ending,” he promised. “I, I’ll be the man you always wanted me to be, and you’ll see the world right along with me. We’ll be together. We’ll be happy. With no darkness to speak of, Belle, my heart will be pure and all yours.”

The hope in his eyes, the pain lying just underneath, Belle knew he thought it was such a farfetched dream. Something that could never be, but she’d seen stranger miracles, impossible wonders. She watched him come back to life after he’d was said to be gone forever this… this could be.

She smiled right back at him, with the same belief she always held when he was doubtful, there to hold him up if he needed her, as he did now. “Rumple, no matter what happens, no matter what world we may be written into, what realm we’re in, whether we’re heroes or-or villains, no matter what, I will love you. I will always, always love you. With all of my heart.”

She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek and hugging him, once she’d helped him sit up. He looked at her, gently touching her cheek.

“I’m glad you came here,” he whispered, knowing another wave of pain was coming that could very well floor him again. “I-I’m glad I got to see you one last time.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Belle pressed, pushing their foreheads together. “You’ll be alright. You will, Rumple, there...there’ll be a way. There’s...there’s always a way.” He cupped her cheek, smiling a little at her optimism and leaned in closer, moving to kiss her. He felt her warmth drawing near, a hand going into his hair-

Agony struck his chest and he clutched at it, gasping. He leaned back, crying out. “Belle, go!” He urged.

“No, I won’t leave you!”

She reached for him again and he grabbed her wrist, jaw clenched, speaking harshly through his teeth. He had to get her away from him, he had to make her leave, he had to save her from the horrendous demon he was about to become. “Belle. Leave. Before I do something I’ll regret.”

He let her go, aching to see the tears that had sprung into her eyes but he couldn’t falter now. She shook her head, folding her lips to keep herself from crying in front of him and ran out sobbing, leaving him weak against the wall. He closed his eyes.

He could only hope the odds were in his favor, and the Author would show up in time. Before he...he became a true monster. He wanted to dry Belle’s tears for good. Never cause her an ounce of pain. He wanted to save her from the misery he caused her.

A hero. That’s what he wanted to be.

He could only pray his cowardice would stay behind this time.


End file.
